GBUF - 26 May 25

 

#GBUF #sriGINthoughts #26May25 #GoodBadUglyFunnyTrusk

Last week, education found itself in the spotlight – twice, through incidents that unfolded tens of thousands of miles apart.

📕 In Singapore, the prestigious National University of Singapore (NUS), currently ranked 8th globally, decided it was time for some spring cleaning. Unfortunately, this meant literally dumping over 9,000 books from the now-defunct Yale-NUS College library—into the bin. The university cited an “operational lapse” while following “standard library practice.” Many, however, saw it as a “1984” moment of historic revisionism: throw away the books, and perhaps you can erase the memory of the Yale-NUS experiment altogether. After a solid public furore (and a lot of egg on the institutional face), NUS salvaged most of the books and is now giving them away for free on May 28. #ShredEducation 📘

🏠 As NUS shredded its books, Donald Trump attempted to shred Harvard—by attempting to block it from enrolling or hosting foreign students. While a judge has temporarily stalled this draconian measure, the damage is done. Thousands of students are now left uncertain about their academic futures. Universities across the U.S. are on tenterhooks, waiting for the next political guillotine to drop. Students across the world are looking more seriously at alternatives in Europe and Asia. O #MAGAEducation, what a rage! 🛫

🚙 Speaking of rage, road rage is universal. Someone overtakes you from the wrong side. Someone honks incessantly. Someone else flashes the middle finger. Your blood pressure spikes. You breathe in, chant “All is well,” and slowly return to normal. Unfortunately, elephants don’t quite work the same way. On a Malaysian highway near an elephant crossing, a conscientious driver stopped and turned off his car’s headlights to let a herd pass. The impatient drivers behind him, however, honked—startling the pachyderms. The result? Three elephants ambled up and smashed the first car to smithereens. Rage is truly universal. #ToughTuskers 🐘

🐶 In Singapore, the rules around pets in public housing (HDB flats) are strict. Only certain breeds of dogs are allowed, and only one dog/cat per flat. It’s a no-pets policy otherwise – much like that infamous condominium in Bangkok that made news last week. But humans being humans, rules tend to get bent. One flat owner housed a noisy, rule-breaking dog, much to the frustration of a neighbour. So, what did the neighbour do? He took matters into his own hands, or more accurately, his own fangs. He released two large snakes into the corridor, declaring: “I couldn’t carry the bigger one today!” Somewhere, Salazar Slytherin is smiling. #EyeForAnEye 🐍

🟠 Meanwhile, in the U.S., the political corridors are shifting—yet again. Elon Musk, once an ardent cheerleader of DOGE and certain political figures, appears to be stepping back. Following the passing of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” Musk is apparently disillusioned. He has hinted at reducing his political involvement to focus instead on achieving a “sustainably abundant future.” But Trump is sustaining his abundant rhetoric ensuring the future is a guesswork for all. He’s threatened a 25% tariff on phone makers, called Putin “absolutely crazy” (pot, meet kettle?), and delayed tariffs on the EU after their calls for “respect.” #SwampIsThick 🦌

₹ And India, now the world’s fourth-largest economy, ahead of Japan with a GDP of approximately $4.3+ trillion, is on a diplomatic overdrive. She sent out envoys all over the world on a PR blitz to tell the world on how Operation Sindoor was a necessary and repeatable action against a truant Pakistan. Naturally, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, the diplomat-par-excellence is drawing all the attention with his suave and eloquent deriding of DJT, sitting in NY. #DipOps 🗣

And finally, the best for last.

🏎 Kush Maini just became the first-ever Indian to win an F2 race at Monte Carlo. That alone is a tremendous achievement. But the wag had a little extra spice: “He’s from Bengaluru. After navigating the moon-craters they call roads over there, Maini must’ve become ‘bahoot khush’ at seeing a proper, smooth road, and floored it!” 🤣 I am sure people would hope that some of the enhanced GDP would flow onto the roads & not just flood waters! #SmoothRace 🚩

Views are personal. Any hurt unintentional.

GBUF - 19 May 2025

 #sriGINthoughts #GoodBadUglyFunnyTrusk #GBUF #19May25

The past fortnight was ablaze—literally and diplomatically—across the Indo-Pak border. India claimed (with visual proof) that it had struck multiple "terrorist" camps inside Pakistan under Operation Sindoor. Did India lose a few fighter jets, including possibly a Rafale? Whose drones were flying all over Pakistani skies—Turkish Bayraktars, perhaps? Details remain fuzzy. But in a refreshing display of strategic restraint (much to the chagrin of blood lusting primetime media), the Indian Armed Forces stayed mostly mum. The IAF chief’s smirk, when asked if they hit Kirana Hills—allegedly a Pakistani nuclear storage site—spoke louder than words. Meanwhile, Pakistan's counter-operation reportedly had the hilariously unfortunate acronym: BUM (Bunyan-Un-Marsoos).

Despite Senator J.D. Vance quipping, “It’s their war, let them figure it out!”, something triggered a Mach 1-level escalation, forcing both nations’ hands. Enter DJT, shooting (pun intended) for the Nobel Peace Prize, and claiming credit for brokering a ceasefire. #TensePeace

Trump wasn’t exactly idle elsewhere. Last week saw him gallivanting across the Middle East...

• inking multibillion-dollar deals with MBS, 
• accepting a Qatari jet (cough bribe), 
• calling the Qatari Emir’s palace a “nice house,” 
• controversially appointing Ismail Royer (a convicted, though released, extremist) as a White House advisor
• praising Pakistan’s “wonderful products” (Pray, what exactly?), 
• warning Tim Cook not to make iPhones in India, 
• going 'wow' on seeing the 'Al-Ayyala' dance (video below) at UAE and 
• sending “warmest and best wishes” to Joe Biden on hearing about his cancer diagnosis. 
• Along the way, he pardoned Syria too. 

Dei! #Madness, as always, seems to be his only method.

While India was busy juggling a prickly western front (hello again, Pakistan) and a pesky eastern one (yes, Bangladesh—please lah!), cricket fans were hit for a six: IPL was paused for a week, and worse, Rohit ‘Hitman’ Sharma and Virat ‘Cheeku’ Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket. Rohit’s decision was understandable (you can ride that ‘selfless’ horse only that much!) but Kohli still had some firepower left, methinks. Two greats leaving the format quietly. A bit sad, but perhaps inevitable. #ErasEnd

Speaking of inevitable exits, Warren Buffett—the Oracle of Omaha—is finally retiring at year’s end. At 94, it’s not his billions I admire most, but his diet: burgers and Coke. Legend! He’s probably had more people hang onto his words than their spouses’. #HealthyReturns

This fortnight also brought two major legal cases on sexual crimes—one ending, the other just beginning.

In the U.S., Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing a barrage of lawsuits involving assault, trafficking, and coercion. Allegations include drugging women, using firearms for intimidation, and a disturbing culture of abuse spanning decades. Over 100 alleged victims are preparing to sue. If things go south, only a diddy would bet on him walking free.

Closer home, in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, nine men were sentenced to life imprisonment till death for their role in a horrific sexual assault and extortion ring. Over 200 women—students, professionals, teachers—were reportedly affected, with thousands of videos recovered in 2019. A chilling reminder of systemic impunity.

How do we deter such predators from prowling again?

Speaking of prowling, a Mexican Navy tall ship—Cuauhtémoc—lit up in full glory, sailed into the Hudson a couple of days ago… only to smash into the 142-year-old Brooklyn Bridge. Turns out, tall masts and old bridges don’t mix. The incident caused significant damage to the ship and tragically cost two lives. In a poetic twist, the mishap seems to echo Trump’s rhetoric: You want to come in from the Mexican border? Here's your bridge... blocked! #DoNotPassGo

Sigh. Madness, metaphor, and mayhem. 

Till next time.

Views are personal. Any hurt unintentional.

GBUF 04May25

#sriGINthoughts #GoodBadUglyFunnyTrusk #GBUF #04May25

It’s been a fortnight of fireworks—some dazzling, some damaging. Here is XI of them ;-)

The Law Moves… Slowly, But Surely

The long arm of the law may be arthritic, but it still packs a punch. தெய்வம் நின்று கொல்லும் and all that stuff. Mehul Choksi - yes, the same diamantaire who swindled Indian banks (PNB, Canara, Bank of Maharashtra... take your pick) out of a cool USD 1.76 billion—has finally been nabbed by Belgian authorities. Extradition to India is on the cards. Tihar awaits with its famous daal-roti platter. Just ensure he isn’t smuggling in a diamond cutter to escape the clutches. (Doesn't he look like Jabba the Hutt?) #CuttingEdgeCarbon 

Of Clutches and Brand Tags

Meanwhile, Chinese TikTok is buzzing—not with dances, but with deconstructions. Luxury bags, it turns out, cost peanuts to make. It's the LV, Hermes, and Chanel tags that drain wallets. A thoughtful Li from Shanghai summed it up: are you paying for quality of a no-name bag or just an expensive name tag to soothe your soul? #BagOfTricks

Life in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

On the cosmic quality of life side, scientists (with desi Dr Nikku Madhusudhan in the mix) have spotted signs of life just 120 light years away in K2-18b. Naturally, important questions arise: Will DJT claim it’s American? Do they stream Netflix? And what's the visa category—ET or PR? #StarWarsOn

Blu(e) Turns Blood Red

Talking of paying, the Jaggi brothers, Anmol (neither invaluable) and Puneet (nor holy), of Gensol/BluSmart fame, seem to have paid themselves, kith and kin, more and some more from the funds (close to 1000 cr INR? ~100m USD) meant for running the companies that they have been promoting. And before you ask, no, Jaggi from Coimbatore is not involved in this fraud. #NotBluSmart

Tragedy in Pahalgam

Talking of repercussions, India was rocked by a brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, where 26 tourists were killed by five Islamist militants. It’s the deadliest since 26/11, and public anger is rising—many calling for swift retaliation against Pakistan, which seems to be tacitly complicit. Meanwhile, social media warriors on X and FB rage, question faiths, and demand action. But a direct war may not be wise. With trade tensions (hello Trump), a simmering standoff with China, and economic headwinds, India may prefer strategic, behind-the-scenes moves inspired by Chanakya Neethi over open conflict. #PahalGham

Of Faith, Smoke, and Succession
Two religious milestones this fortnight. 

In Rome, Pope Francis passed away after a life of service to the poor and marginalized. The Conclave convenes May 7 to find the replacement to the People's Pope. Perhaps an Asian Pope? Watch for the white smoke—Netflix has a decent one if you want to prep.

In Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, the fabled Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt anointed a new pontiff - Jagadguru Sri Satya Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal (formerly Ganesha Sharma Dravid, no relation to the Wall). Two worlds, two traditions, same message: love, faith, and compassion are what we need. Here's to hope—and a little #MoreHarmony.

AuroMille

But there is one thing that may not be harmonious as we move forward. Ownership of gold. It crossed the psychological threshold of USD 3000 (per ounce) or INR 10,000 (per gram of 24K) recently. With Trump and his minions mucking around in the tariff swamp, anti-risk is the rusk that investors want to eat. I think next time when I type the word, ‘gold’, I might have to swipe the card 😊 #DazzlingShine

Namibia’s Visa Swipe

Speaking of visas, Namibia has decided to return the favour to the US. Starting now, American tourists must get a visa—and a pricey one at that. Want to see the big cats? Plan ahead, and bring a big wallet. #TitForTat

Not Your Usual Family Drama

Here’s a fraud twist straight out of an OTT soap: Rahul (not one of the famous one/s 😉) from Aligarh eloped with his bride’s mother—yes, you read that right—on his wedding day. They fled with the wedding jewellery and cash. Turns out he had done something similar before – as in eloping with someone and returned back with no repercussions. Some folks just don’t believe in tying the knot—only untying others’. #HabitsTieHard

Singapore Sticks To Stability

And dazzle it did, Singapore’s People’s Action Party (and its 4G leadership) returned to power after the elections on May 3 with a higher vote share than what they managed four years ago. The threat of losing potential office holders and ministers (remember George Yeo in 2011) seem to have worked in some of the key battlegrounds in the city-state parliament of 97 members. Main opposition Workers’ Party retained its existing seats and performed well in a few other seats auguring well for future hustings. Hope the ‘authoritative mandate’ doesn’t turn out to be authoritarian. #BrightThunder

Iberia Blacks Out

And finally, Spain and Portugal had a week best described as... dark. A massive blackout hit homes, transport, even the Madrid Open. Theories range from freak weather to renewable imbalances to cyberattacks. The lights are slowly coming back, but for now, they're still groping in the dark. #FragileEnvironment

But all is not doom and gloom.

• #RCB seems to be on their path to capture the #IPL Holy Grail. #18ForAReason! (no, let's not talk about #CSK)

💖💖💖

View are personal. No hurt intended.

Escape Life Through Cricket

#sriGINthoughts #reviews #Tamilmovies #LubberPandhu #BlueStar #Viduthalai2

tl;dr (On comparing two similar Cricket-themed Tamil movies of 2024, one feels that Lubber Pandhu is better than Blue Star for various reasons.) 

3 min read.

Amaran: Love All. Always.

#sriGINthoughts #Tamil #Reviews #Amaran

All the Indian military films that one has watched so far tend to be jingoistic, sermonising, or over-the-top in various ways. Amaran could have easily fallen into that trap, but fortunately, it didn’t. The story sticks closely to the events of Mukund’s life, with a strong emphasis on his army exploits.

Sai Pallavi should be boycotted—for acting so well! 😊 As Indhu, she shines: bubbly in her "chettan's" shirts, falling head over heels for Mukund’s charms, standing strong as a "half-widow" when months and years go by without knowing where he is or what he’s up to, and displaying steely resolve and resilience when tragedy finally strikes. Her brilliant moments keep stacking up!

Two scenes in particular made me go "wow!": 

• 1. She’s so proud of Mukund for following his heart that, during his graduation parade, her body language says it all. She even imitates his movements as he throws a gun on the field—scintillating!
• 2. When tragedy hits home, she yoyos through her grief—crying, bottling up, crying, bottling up... until finally showing stoic restraint at the wake. There was hardly a dry eye in the theatre.

There was even a scene reminiscent of Premam—I half-expected a Mammootty song to start playing and she would jive for it! But the filmmakers must have thought it would be too corny. Sensible! 😉

If this performance doesn’t win her awards, I don’t know what will.

Sivakarthikeyan, as Mukund Varadarajan, is more than adequate and has done a wonderful job portraying a hardcore military man. This film is a good crossover for him into more serious roles. If he wants to climb further up the cinema charts, he might want to shed the mantle that the GOAT seemed to have handed him a few weeks back! After all, he gave him a gun to guard a guy in the loo!

Some lines in the film stand out: Indhu’s father tells Mukund, "When you walked in to seek my daughter’s hand in that uniform, I was defenceless!" Mukund, when casually asked by his dad why Kashmir is a problem, responds, "What’s the use of us talking about it when the ones who need to talk aren’t?" And then there’s the moment Mukund asks for his wife’s scarf in the theatre, pretending it’s too cold—a man who spends 90% of his time in Kashmir! 😊 Delightful. 

Of course, Mukund's mother was left to repeat the same dialogue a few times: 'டேய், இதுக்காகவா உன்னை அவ்வளவு கஷ்டப்பட்டு பெத்தேன்?' (Did I endure the pains of your birth only to see you head off to the war front?) And the presence of those Tamil spelling mistakes (e.g. களங்கம் was கலைங்கம்). One spends millions, only to slip up on the basics.

The close-quarters action sequences in Kashmir are very well shot, though they could have been a bit crisper.

The filmmakers have largely stuck to the facts, basing the movie on Shiv Aroor + Rahul Singh’s book India’s Most Fearless. Social media warriors have already trained their KB-47 guns at the makers, about Mukund’s family not being portrayed as Brahmin (why, one wonders?) as they were in real life, but controversy, as always, only adds to the buzz. 😊

Indian 2: Zero Tolerance (to watch)

 

There is this wonderful Tamil movie called ‘Sathi Leelavathi’ where Kamal did more than a cameo as a bumbling-Kongu-speaking-doctor. We watched that movie many times only for Kamal’s portions, well, even for Kalpana’s portions and for that dog Sabapathy. 😊 Such was the gravitas that the man had and the adoring following that he commanded.

Fast forward 30 years, in #Indian2 too, Kamal does a bit more than a cameo (45 mins screen time in a 3-hour movie qualifies as one, doesn’t it?). Well, the comparison ends there, I think.

Indian 2 promises to deliver a Double Track Mission, where a centenarian Kamal twists his digits to Varmify the big baddies while he exhorts the ‘gullible’ youth to use their phones to fight the baddies at home. Swachch Ghar. Swachch Bharat. Swachch Duniya. Right? Right.

As viewers we are also taken on a Double Track:

•         where an all-prosthetic Kamal, just ambles along and writes the same old ‘You greedy oaf! Why must you live?’ rhetoric in all languages at odd places including the underbelly of a baby tortoise! Where is the SPCA, I say? Oh, he creates it using spit in vacuum also! What an imagination, SirJi!
•          where a sample ‘privileged’ youth expose their own family members who are corrupt, inept and incompetent.

And honestly, the second track was better than the former!

There, I said it. Here is a Kamal movie where one did not look forward to him appearing on screen. What a great downfall?!

It is not as if the second track is something worth watching. It was kitschy, mega-serial-like, you-knew-everything-including-the-camera-angles-beforehand, the big reveals were yawn-inducing – come on, I am getting tired just typing all that. Yet, it was just that bit more watchable purely for the premise of how a family/society would react to one of their own turning against the family.

One could relate to that portion as I was reminded of a recent interview by an Indian influencer saying that corruption is the oil that runs the machinery of the government! Corruption is so all-pervasive, that people are even questioning how a vigilante movie fighting corruption can succeed!

Perhaps this is the worst album of Anirudh. I guess he was fell asleep by what he saw on the screen – so much so, he had the same BGM on loop for the entire 2^nd half!

Less said about Shankar the better. The man lost his touch roughly after two-thirds of Endiran (Robot) itself. All the references to his own movies in Indian 2 are probably an indication that he is about to hang his boots. Maybe he should, Velpaari or not.

No, I am not going to talk about the garish sets, more garish costumes, unwanted Bolivian ‘item’ song with a Miss Universe 2017 thrown in, irony of CBI convincing the judge to release Indian…

I thought that Billa2 was the worst sequel (or was it a prequel?) ever made in Tamil movies. Now it can rest easy as the second worst.

Indian2 – Double Track Mission – Both Unaccomplished!

PS1: KH said that he did this movie because of #Indian3. Will people be so naïve to come and watch anti-aged KH doing the same thing again, i.e., serving trash? I doubt it.

PS2: The subliminal message of Gandhi-track (go the non-violent way) and Netaji-track (unweed through violence) is a good premise. It is easy to pick up the knife and kill the baddies. Quite digital, it is. But to resist it and take the Gandhian approach in life – so wonderfully captured in History of Violence/Leo - is fraught with extreme struggles and one must face numerous greyish situations inducing oodles of self-doubt; often one will be tempted to #GoBack and once you do so, it is so difficult to #ComeBack as well.  It is tough to be a Gandhi. (Well, I had to think long and hard to write something good about the movie. So, appreciate me for that! 😉)

#sriGINthoughts #reviews #Tamil #Indian2

 

12th Fail: A Nostalgic Pass!

What sets you apart in life?

Your skill? Your intelligence? Your background?

None of the above.

Your attitude.

That’s what prevents you from becoming the chaff that slips through the sieve of life.

"12th Fail" is another reminder of this axiom, told through the eyes of a student, Manoj Kumar Sharma (real-life), and through the milieu of IAS exams (fondly known as Civil Services exams), arguably the toughest entrance exam in India. (Some would say IIT JEE, CAT, etc., but UPSC takes the cake in my opinion for the sheer breadth and depth of what the candidate must go through).

Picture this. About 1.4 million applicants (that is 1 out of every thousand Indians) appear for the ‘Prelims,’ the first hurdle. After passing through a couple more hurdles, 'Mains' and 'Interviews,' only fewer than 1000 applicants get inducted into Civil Services. A success rate of less than 0.1%! You must be kidding!

Being a top civil servant in India is a coveted job for millions. The power and opportunity that it provides to change the course of the country is immense, and many a starry-eyed youth attempts to scale this great wall every year, and some do it multiple times (max of 6 or 9 or unlimited – depends on where you stand in the social equity table). Don’t let the number fool you. Each time you fail, you do a grueling 'Restart' from ab initio. Go back to the axiom above.

When I used to work for a Public Sector company in India in the late-80s, I could see the craze of UPSC exams amongst the trainees. They used to prepare day and night and would rattle off the number of rhinoceroses in Kaziranga National Park and at the same time argue about why Bal Thackeray was right/wrong depending on whether they got Pooris or Rotis for dinner!

****

Manoj Kumar Sharma, from one of the most backward parts of India, wants to just pass his 12th standard (A-levels) so that he can get a lowly peon’s job somewhere in his village and fails repeatedly (Title aa gaya!). But life is a crazy little thing. Through a chance encounter with a righteous officer, Manoj decides that he wants to become a police officer and sets out into the big bad world. Does he succeed in his endeavor? What did he have to go through on his journey? Watch it on the silver screen, indeed!

From a movie and screenplay perspective, "12th Fail" is highly predictable. You can almost say what would happen next after every set piece, even to the extent of who will be highlighted in a particular scene! And the sense of #3Idiots déjà vu was palpable throughout! Vidhu Vinod Chopra perhaps thought that this generation needs a 3 Idiots equivalent! 😃 Vikrant Massey as Manoj was fabulous; so was Anshumaan Pushkar as Gauri Bhaiya, the restarter.

But what really makes the movie work are two things: a) the nostalgia of competitive exams and the adrenaline that flows through the applicant's taut body, and b) the performances of some of the actors in the movie.

…where Manoj misreads a question and fails one of his attempts, the educational exasperation just hits the roof.

…where a privileged student disses a Hindi-medium multi-attempter as 'waste of resources' only to get lectured passive-aggressively by the tea-stall-owner-cum-UPSC-coach.

…where Manoj’s father wants him to give up, oh so reluctantly, the son turns it back nicely on how he learned to be stubborn from his father

…where in the final interview scene (not sure whether it followed the real one or not), how Manoj turns his weakness (being a 12th Fail) into an advantage – good writing that!

…where Manoj struggles to write about himself in 200 words within 8 mins and 20 seconds, you realize the need for the crazy preparation on all topics under the sun!

****

"12th Fail" can be watched to feel good that there is a success story from the unlikeliest of places.

"12th Fail" can be watched to feel bad about how difficult it is for the Manojes of the world to come up.

Above all, "12th Fail" can be watched to feel nostalgic and ask yourself the question, ‘What if’?

#12thFail #sriGINthoughts #reviews #Hindi #IAS #IPS #UPSC

Henry Sugar Plus Two - Sumptuous (Roald) 'Dahl Makhani'

 #sriGINthoughts #reviews #Netflix #RoaldDahl

Roald Dahl is a fascinating writer, always with a penchant for throwing unexpected twists at you. If you think Jeffrey Archer can twist a story like a spring, I have to say that he doesn't hold a candle to Mr. Dahl! His stories are dark, even the so-called children's/young adult books.

I vividly recall reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to my children when they were young and wondered how it could be called a kids' story with all the jealous, petty, snobbish characters strutting around with a madcap like Willy Wonka. (Oh, Johnny Depp was wonderful in the movie!)

But boy! Could Dahl spin a yarn?!

Among his many stories, two stand out in my mind: "Lamb to the Slaughter" and "Man from the South." The former for the sheer ingenuity of the situation—not the protagonist, mind you—and the latter for the depiction of how humans react to desperation (the story was smartly captured in the Tamil movie "Ninaithale Inikkum")

So, when Wes Anderson, that eccentric director, put out a Dahl series on Netflix over the weekend, it was binge time. Thankfully, the three offerings are short films, with the longest being about 37 minutes, and the other two just 17 minutes each.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – Can you see without your eyes?

This is a positive (a rarity from Dahl) story of a rich man finding his spiritual bearings and using his special powers for the benefit of the needy, like Robin Hood. 

But the do-good part is just a footnote. What's important is, as Rahul Dravid, MSD, and others have professed, the process of getting there. 

Benedict Cumberbatch and Ben Kingsley are wonderful, and the concept of dramatized-stage-read (with action in the background and foreground) was a bit unnerving initially but grew on one eventually. 

If you put your heart, mind, eyes, and whatever you want into something, you can achieve it. More importantly, that effort will awaken your inner self. It's like the #KarmaYogi in action!

The Rat Catcher – Must one become a rat to catch a rat?

A sinister, rat-like man comes to a village to catch the rodents. He speaks, walks, and behaves like a rat ("You need to think like them rats to catch them!"). He fails in his attempt but tries to impress his employers with a couple of rat tricks. He loses them completely and scurries away, just like how he came. 

A simple story, you might think. Not quite! Ralph Fiennes shines as the rat catcher. I also learned that plaster of Paris is enough to kill rats. They eat it, and moisture makes the plaster expand and congeal, depriving them of air. Rats die in no time! Oooo... I liked the allegation (?) that rat blood is used to make liquorice in the chocolate factory, and the explanation of how they make it reminded me of Willy Wonka. 

The ending with the hook of "What did the rats find nutritious to avoid eating the poison?" was delicious indeed. Pun intended. 😊

The Swan – Can you truly break free and fly?

Dahl presents one of his more bittersweet tales, delving into the theme of bullying. The narrative explores how people cope with it, seek to escape it, and believe that distance, intelligence, or silence will provide refuge. Yet, nothing truly alleviates the pain, which lingers and festers even as one matures. Once again, the stark filming technique, employing prop-like sets while narrating the story and acting simultaneously, accentuates the disquieting atmosphere characteristic of Roald Dahl's storytelling.

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You may not like the way the stories have been told, but these are exceptional narratives worth keeping in the recesses of your mind.